Paper and More Paper (Part 1)
Today I am going to talk about paper. I know, not so exciting. But it comes into our lives at fast rate. Every day we have paper to deal with.
Here are some examples of paper clutter at home :
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1. Mail: Six days a week we get it. My advice is every day to open it up and go through it. If it’s junk mail, rip it up and throw out in recycling (or shred if you prefer). If it is an advertisement you won’t use just toss it in recycling. If it is a bill or item that needs your attention set it aside in an “Action” pile. If it is an invitation or something that has a date for you to attend check your schedule right away then put in “Action” pile. If it’s a magazine, newspaper or catalog set it aside in a pile “Read”.
2. Now you have two piles. “Action” and” Read”. Have an area where you can put your reading and go through it during the week. I find the most time consuming are magazines. Give yourself one month to read. If not, consider not subscribing to as many magazines. It feels great to save money and not have piles of items to read. “Action” piles are the important items. There are many ways to keep “Action” items in your area. One way is to get a small standing file box put it in your bill paying area. Then make a file and label it “Action” or “Bills to Pay”. Make sure you go to this file on a certain day every week and empty it out and pay the bills. The most important thing with “Action” is to get to it.
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3. Children’s Paperwork from their backpack. Empty backpacks every day with your child. I find a bin for each child works best. If no action on the paperwork just put in the bin. I know as a Mom I just want a spot to put the corrected work. Then hang up special artwork. And of course if items need to go into your “Action” file (like write a check for a field trip) check dates and put in file. The rest of the paperwork could be homework. That should get done and get back in the folder. I find kids like routines. Get into a routine of going through it together (depending on ages), taking out lunchboxes, and prepping for the next day.
These are just a few tips on paperwork that might come in daily to your home. I hope you think these ideas are helpful.
I plan to talk about paperwork again soon. I work from home and know the struggles of office paperwork. Have a great day and please contact me for any organizational needs.
Karen Lloyd
